Brassiere



y 1965 H. STEINER 3,181,537

BRASS IERE Filed Dec. 17, 1962 FIG.1

INVENTOR. Harry Steiner ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,181,537 BRASSIERE Harry Steiner, 13ti14 Cronston Ave, Beile Harbor, N.Y. Filed Dec. 17, 1962, Ser. No. 245,307 3 Claims. (Cl. 128-492) The present invention relates to a garment and more particularly to a brassiere or the like.

In the manufacture of ladies garments such as brassieres, corselettes, or bathing suits, it is important to provide for good breast cup control while permitting freedom of movement of the wearer. One common expedient has been to include an elastic panel at the lower portion of each breast cup. This elastic panel has several drawbacks. For one, the assembly of such a garment is more difiicult since the number of sections is larger; secondly, the life of the garment is limited to the life of the elastic which is normally the first material to deteriorate: third, there are women whose sensitive skins are irritated by elastic; and fourth, elastic materials tend to be uncomfortable in warm weather when they often cause perspiration. This last drawback is particularly true when the elastic is located in an area which already has a tendency for perspiration which is the case at the lower portion of the breast.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a garment which will overcome the foregoing drawbacks while allowing for freedom of movement.

3 It is another object of the present invention to pro vide a garment which permits freedom of movement while reinforcing lateral breast cup support.

Additional objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a garment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged schematic view taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the pattern for a central lower panel of one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a portion of another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a portion of still another embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 6 is a plan view of a portion of yet another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring now to the drawings, in FIG. 1 the invention is shown as incorporated in a brassiere. The brassiere has two substantially identical sides 10 and 11, connected along a first seam 12 at a vertical centerline. Each of the sides 10 and 11 has a front section 13 with a breast portion 14 which covers the breast itself. As shown, the front section 13 may extend downward to include a diaphragm portion 15. A side panel 16 is attached to the outer edge of the front section 13. A back panel 17 is attached to the outer edge of the side panel 16. Means are provided, such as hooks and eyes 18 to close the garment. If the garment is to have straps 21, as in FIG. 1, they may be attached in the usual manner from the top of the front section 13 to the top of the back panel 17. In the example shown in FIG. 1 the side panel 16 is made of a non-extensible material and the back panel 17 is made of a horizontally extensible material. There is also a horizontally extensible band 18 attached to the bottom edge of the entire garment.

The front section 13 is made of a non-extensible material and has three panels: a first top panel 19 that extends upwardly from a generally horizontal line 20 running across approximately the center of the breast portion 14 to each side of the front section 13, and two lower panels: a lateral lower panel 22 and a central lower panel 3,181,537 Patented May 4, 1965 24 that extend downwardly from the horizontal line 20. The two lower panels 22 and 24 are connected by a second vertical seam 26 which runs down from approxi* mately the center of the horizontal line 29. If desired, the lateral lower panel 22 may be cut away at an angle along its outer edge and a section 27 may be inserted between the panel 22 and the adjoining side panel 16. The section 27 maybe wedge-shaped as illustrated and is made of a horizontally extensible material for a snugger fit of the garment.

The central lower panel 24 has two pleats 28 and 3% which may be more readily seen in FIG. 2 and in the pattern piece shown in FIG. 3. The lower edge 32 of the top pleat 28 runs diagonally from the said second seam 26 at approximately the bottom of the breast portion 14 up to the first seam 12 at a point just below the end of the horizontal line 20. The second pleat 30 is lower than and parallel to the first pleat 28. The pleats 28 and 30 are made in the panel 24 before the panel is attached to the rest of the garment and the ends of the pleat-s are sewn down into the respective seams 12 and 26. This construction permits freedom of movement because the pleats will open up when bodily movement applies any tension to them. The twisting and stretching motions of the body can be accommodated by extra room provided within the pleats 28 and 39. At the same time the pleats are opening, lateral tension results and lateral support of the breast portion is actually increased since the ends of the pleats are secured into the adjoining seams.

The actual folding of the material to make the pleats may be accomplished in various ways. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 each pleat has a downward fold 34 extending over the outer face of the garment and an upward fold 36 positioned behind the downward fold 34. A line of stitching 38 runs close to the edge of each told 34 and 36 to reposition the pleats after the distortion which will take place during movement.

A second way in which the peats may be folded is shown in FIG. 4. In this embodiment the upward fold 49 extends over the outer face of the garment and the downward fold 42 is positioned behind the upward fold 40. FIG. 5 illustrates a way in which the peats may be arranged wherein the top leat 44 has an upward fold 46 extending over the outer face of the garment and its downward fold 48 positioned behind the upward fold 46. The lower pleat 56 of this embodiment has its downward fold 52 extending over the outer face of the garment and its upward fold 54 positioned behind the downward fold 52.

Still another embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 6. In this example, there is a front section 56 which is joined to a similar front section along a first vertical seam 58 at the centerline. The front section 56 has a top panel 6t) extending upwardly from a horizontal line 62 at approximately the center of a breast portion 64. A lateral lower panel 66 and a central lower panel 68 extend downwardly from the horizontal line 62. The two lower panels 66 and 68 are connected by a second vertical seam 70 which runs down from approximately the center of the horizontal line 62. A single pleat 72 runs diagonally across the central lower panel 68 from the second seam 70 at approximately the bottom of the breast portion 64- up to the first seam 58 at a point just below the end of the horizontal line 62. A second pleat 74 runs diagonally across the lateral lower panel 66 from the second seam 70 where the first pleat 72 begins to the edge 76 of the lateral lower panel 66 at the horizontal line 62.

All of the above-described examples are achieved by arrangement of the unitary panel material. No extra pieces are required. The various constructions are possible with all the usual materials utilized in the manufacture of garments such as brassieres, corselettes, and bathing suits. Any one of the constructions provides for freedom of movement while maintaining good lateral support.

While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.

What is-clairned-is:

1. A garment having two substantially identical sides connected along a first seam at a vertical center-line, each of said sides having a front section of non-extensible material with a breast portion, said front section having three panels, a first top panel extendingup from a horizontal line running across approximately the center of said breast portion to each side of said front section, a second vertical seam extending down from approximately the center of the horizontal line and connecting the two lower panels, said lower panels being a lateral lower panel and a central lower panel, a first pleat extending from the said second seam at approximately the bottom of said breast portion across said central lower panel to the said first seam just below the said horizontal line, and a second pleat spaced below and parallel to said first pleat, each pleat having a downward fold extending over the outer face of the garment and anupward fold positioned behind the downward fold, each pleat having a line of stitching close to the edge of each fold, each of said pleats-being secured only within the respective seams at each of its ends whereby the pleats may open and close to permit vertical freedom of movement by the wearer while reinforcing lateral support.

2. A garment having two substantially. identical sides connected along a first seam at a vertical center-line, each of said sides having a front section of non-extensible material with a breast portion, said front section having three'panels, a first top panel extending upwardly from a horizontal line running across approximately the center of said breast portion to each side ofsaid front section, a second vertical seam extending down from'approximately the center of the horizontal line and connecting the two lower panels, said lower panels being a lateral lower panel and a central lower panel, a first pleat extending behind the upward fold, each of said pleats being secured only within the respective seams at each of its ends whereby the pleats may open and close to permit vertical freedom of movement by the wearer while reinforcing lateral support.

3. A garment having two substantially identical side connected along a first seam at a vertical center-line, each 'of said sides having a front section of non-extensible material with a breast portion, said frontsection having three panels, afirst topipaneliextending upwardly from a horizontal line running across approximately the center of said breast portion to each side of said front section, a second vertical seam extending down from approximately the center of the horizontal line and connecting the two lower panels, said lower panels being a lateral lower panel and a central lowerpanel, a first pleat extending from the said second seam at approximately the bottom of said breast portionacross said central lower panel to'the said first seam just below the said horizontal line, and. a second pleat extending from the said second seam at approximately the bottom of said breast portion across said lateral lower panel to the outer end of said horizontal line, each of said pleats being secured only within the respective seams at each'of its ends whereby the pleats may open and close to permit verticallfreedom of movement by the wearer while reinforcing lateral support.

References liter by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 10/35 Rawtzky .l28492 2,180,180 11/39 Versoy 128492 2,290,485 7/42 Sutter 128442 2,420,774 5/47 Goldsholl' l 28492 2,867,216 1/59 Champagne et a1 128 -492 3,019,792 2/62 Kahn 128-492 ADELE M. EAGER, Primary Examiner. LOUIS R. PRINCE, Examiner. 

1. A GARMENT HAVING TWO SUBSTANTIALLY IDENTICAL SIDES CONNECTED ALONG A FIRST SEAM AT A VERTICAL CENTER-LINE, EACH OF SAID SIDES HAVING A FRONT SECTION OF NON-EXTENSIBLE MATERIAL WITH A BREAST PORTION, SAID FRONT SECTION HAVING THREE PANELS, A FIRST TOP PANEL EXTENDING UP FROM A HORIZONTAL LINE RUNNING ACROSS APPROXIMATELY THE CENTER OF SAID BREAST PORTION TO EACH SIDE OF SAID FRONT SECTION, A SECOND VERTICAL SEAM EXTENDING DOWN FROM APPROXIMATELY THE CENTER OF THE HORIZONTAL LINE AND CONNECTING THE TWO LOWER PANELS, SAID LOWER PANELS BEING A LATERAL LOWER PANEL AND A CENTRAL LOWER PANEL, A FIRST PLEAT EXTENDING FROM THE SAID SECOND SEAM AT APPROXIMATELY THE BOTTOM OF SAID BREAST PORTION ACROSS SAID CENTRAL LOWER PANEL TO THE SAID FIRST SEAM JUST BELOW THE SAID HORIZONTAL LINE, AND A SECOND PLEAT SPACED BELOW AND PARALLEL TO SAID FIRST PLEAT, EACH PLEAT HAVING A DOWNWARD FOLD EXTENDING OVER THE OUTER FACE OF THE GARMENT AND AN UPWARD FOLD POSITIONED BEHIND THE DOWNWARD FOLD, EACH PLEAT HAVING A LINE OF STITCHING CLOSE TO THE EDGE OF EACH FOLD, EACH OF SAID PLEATS BEING SECURED ONLY WITHIN THE RESPECTIVE SEAMS AT EACH OF ITS ENDS WHEREBY THE PLEATS MAY OPEN AND CLOSE TO PERMIT VERTICAL FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT BY THE WEARER WHILE REINFORCING LATERAL SUPPORT. 